Cover for containers



1965 F. F. SUELLENTROP, JR, ETAL 3,170,502

COVER FOR CONTAINERS Filed April 22, 1963 IIIIIIIIIIh /NVENTOR$1 FREDESUELLENT'ROEJR.

ALLAN A. SUELLENTRO/j 5/ 2m? THEIR nv-romvzv United States Patent3,170,602 COVER FOR CGNTAINERS Fred F. Suellentrop, Jr., Shrewsbury, andAllan A. Suellentrop, Mehlville, Mo., assignors to Pres-Pal: Valve 1Corp., St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Filed Apr. 22, 1963,Ser. No. 274,428 1 Claim. (Cl. 222-182) The present invention relates ingeneral to dispensing containers, and more particularly to novel andimproved cover means for protecting the dispensing valve assemblies ofpressurized containers.

Specifically, the present invention contemplates an improved coverassembly that initially includes a cap body and a skirt section integraltherewith, saidskirt section being manually severable from the cap body,and being provided with means for facilitating that operation. The skirtsection is disposable, in that once having been severed from the capbody of the cover assembly it may be discarded, whereas said cap bodymay be employed repeatedly thereafter, as will appear.

Prior to the time of severance however, the skirt section has twodistinct functions. First of all, said skirt section aids materially instabilizing the cap body during shipping and storing operations, as wellas in the course of subsequent container handlings by prospectivepurchasers thereof.

It is obviously desirable from a sanitary standpoint alone, thatdispensing valve assemblies of the character under consideration beprotected against contamination. Furthermore, it is essential that thetiltable valve stems of such valve assemblies be shielded againstaccidental contact at any time, inasmuch as any movement of said stem,no matter how slight, would either result in the escape of some of thegas pressure, or the loss of some of the container contents, or both.

In other words, it is of critical importance to first of all protect thedispensing valve stems of pressurized containers during shippingoperations. In the course of packing, loading, transporting, andunloading operations incident to the delivery of pressurized containersto their ultimate destination from a processing site, there is alwaysdanger that such containers may be mishandled, upset, or otherwise havetheir valve stems accidentally tilted. Assuming that containers hadarrived at their. destination intact, it is essential that their valvestems be shielded against tilting thereof in the course of handlings bymerchants and prospective customers at the retail level. Furthermore,assuming that the purchase of such containers had been effected, it isimportant that the valve stems be protected against tilting thereofduring the subsequent store to-household transportation of thecontainers, as well as during time elapses that would normally obtainbetween dispensing operations, as is understood.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a noveland improved cover assembly for pressurized dispensing containers, saidassembly being initially comprised of an integrally molded cap body anda disposa'ole-skirt section. The cap body includes a depending rimportion that is circumferentially spaced from said skirt section, and isprovided with a plurality of circularly spaced ribs that projectradially from its external peripheral surface in a direction toward theskirt section.

In addition to functioning in a stabilizing capacity for the cap bodyprior to the first dispensing operation, the skirt section of the coverassembly serves to guarantee that none of the contents of a particularcontainer have been dispensed prior to the purchase of said container.Stated otherwise, the incorporation of the disposable skirt section inthe original cover assembly, coupled with the fact that so long as saidskirt section remains intact,

"ice

visible evidence is automatically presented to prospective customersthat the contents of that container had not been tampered with, as willappear.

Wherefore, it is another important object of the present invention toprovide a cover assembly that incorporates means adapted to visiblyindicate to prospective customers that there have been no priordispensings of the container contents, either fortuitously orintentionally.

Preferably, the cover assembly of the present invention is molded of aplastic material such as flexible or yieldable polyethylene. Thedisposable skirt section aforesaid includes an annulus portion having acircularly formed tear type frangible connection at its upper end with alaterally projecting circular flange of the cap body, so that theannulus portion may be severed from said flange in consequence ofmanually pulling it more or less arcuately away from the flange alongsaid frangible connection.

In contemplation of the immediately foregoing, it is another object ofthe present invention to provide a circularly formed frangible webconnection between a laterally projecting flange of the cap body and theannulus portion of the skirt section, and to provide a manuallyengageable tab for facilitating the severance of said annulus portionfrom the flange circumferentially along said web connection, beginningfrom and ending at a vertically disposed slit or score formationprovided in the external periphery of the annulus portion adjacent oneside of said tab.

The invention is illustrated on a sheet of drawings that accompaniesthis specification. the invention that have not been specifically notedhereinabove, will be apparent from the detailed description that followswith reference to said drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of an exemplary container surmountedby the valve stem protective and tamper-proof cover assembly comprisingthe present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view, on an enlarged scale, of said coverassembly;

FIGURE 3 is a bottom plan view thereof;

FIGURE 4 is a front elevational view thereof, partly in section, takenvertically on the line 4-4 of FIG- URE 2;

FIGURE 5 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken on the line 5-5of FIGURE 2;

' FIGURE 6 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of FIGURE1, the view being drawn to a scale corresponding to that of FIGURES 2through 5;

FIGURE 7 is atop plan view of FIGURE 1, suggesting the initial andthereafter partial severance of the skirt section of the cover assemblyfrom thecap body portion thereof;

FIGURE 8 is a view similar to FIGURE 7 suggesting the final severance ofsaid skirt section from the cap body portion of the cover assembly;

FIGURE 9 is a fragmentary view similar to FIGURE 1, illustrating the capbody of the present invention in place atop the container subsequent tothe final severance of said skirt section; and

FIGURE 10 is a view similar to FIGURE 6 taken on the line 10-10 ofFIGURE 9.

' For the purpose of illustrating the present invention, the dispensingvalve assembly disclosed in Patent No. 2,852,168, granted on September16, 1958, to F. F. Suellentrop has been exemplarily shown in thedrawings, said assembly being operatively mounted in the cupshaped topclosure member of a typical pressurized container designated C. Thevalve assembly is designated A, and includes a generally tubulartiltable valve stem designated S, and a complemental hollow grommetdesignated G.

The well known and widely employed containers of Objects and featuresof' the type illustrated, terminate at the top in a closure member ahaving a bottom wall w provided with. a central opening through whichthe grommet and the therein supported valve stem-extends.

As shown in FIGURES 6 and 10, such top closure members are generallycupshaped, and are so designed as to include an annular beaded portion bthat is crimped about an upstanding circularflange segment 1comprisingwhereupon the thus associated closure and container 7 assemblyis subjected to the action of a crimping machine whereby to form theannular sealing bead b.

It is not deemed necessary to elaborate on the various types ofdispensing valve assemblies currently in use, in-

asmuch as the cover assembly of the present invention is applicable toall of them, so long as they are mounted in top closuresof the characterdescribed. Nor is it believed requisite herein to describe the methodswhereby the'various fluids to be dispensed are introduced into thecontainers and pressurized, inasmuchas these methods are well known andunderstood in the art..

The cover assembly of the present invention, adapted to initiallyprotect the valve and to prevent subsequent tampering with thecontainer, is designated as a whole in the drawings by the numeral 20;The cover assembly 20 is molded of a flexible plastic such aspolyethelyne, and initially includes what will be considered a permanentcap bodygenerally' designated 22, and a disposable skirt sectiongenerally designated 24.

The cap body 22 includes a top wall 26, and a circular side wall 28 thatterminates at the bottom in an annular rim portion 39. As seen to bestadvantages in FIGURES 3 and 5, the external peripheral surface of therim portion 34) has formed thereon a plurality of circularly spacedradially projecting ribs 32, four such ribs being exemplarily shown. Theupper ends of the ribs 32 merge into.

an annular flange 34' that projects laterally from the side wall 28 ofthe cap body, as shown.

The disposable skirt section 24 includes an annulus portion 36 having aninternal diameter that is formed to. correspond with the externaldiameter of the bead b of the container closure member a. Projectingradially laterally from the-annulus 36, is a tear tab 38 that terminatesas best seen in FIGURE 1, in 'a vertically disposed cylindrical segment40, said segment providing a fingerpiece adapted to facilitatemanipulation of said tab as will appear.

As seen to best advantage in FIGURES 2 through 5, the annulus portion 36is slit or scored contiguously toone side of the tab 38, as indicated at42. The lower peripheral edge of the annulus portion 36 is feathered asat 44, whereby frictional application of the cover assembly 22 onto thebead b is facilitated.

Numeral 46 designates a circular Web segment that, as best-seen inFIGURE 5, connects the flange 34 of the cap body and the annulus portion36. The web segment 46 constitutes a tear type frangible connection, sothat the skirt section 24 may be severed from said flange in consequenceof manually pulling it via the tab 38, more or less arcuately away fromthe flange as suggested by the broken line arrow x appearing in FIGURE7. Following completion of the removal of the skirt section, theresultant peripheral appearance of the flange 34 is best seen in FIGURE10. Inasmuch as said periphery is' actually comprised of a circularsegment of thewebdfi, it is designated 46a.

Although'it is believed that the objectives of the present invention andthe attainment of them should be apparent from the foregoing descriptionaugmented by an 4 inspection of the drawings, a brief additionalexplanation'will be given. 7

Thus it is to be observed that the cover assemblies 20 would obviouslybe dimensioned in accordance with the particular container top closureand dispensing valve contemplated. In other words for example, theheight of the cap. body 20 may be increased or diminished from thatshown in the drawings depending. on the size of the valve stem, asshould be understood. Similarly, the cir-v cumference of the closurebead 5 would determine the diameters of the rim portion 30 and theannulus portion 36,'and so on. In all cases however, the space obtainingbetween the internal periphery of an annulus 36 and'the ribs 32 would beslightly smaller than the beading b, so that initiallyv (after thecontainer had been processed), the cover assembly 20 would so to speakbe pressfitted onto the container closure 12. The feathered edge '44serves to facilitate this operation. Any attempt to there-- after removethe c'overassembly without fracturing the scored region 42 of theannulus portion 36 would be extremely difficult, if not impossible. i

To, facilitate legitimate removal of the skirt portion 24' by thepurchaser, the tab 38 and fingerpiece 40 arrangement is provided. Theearly tearing action, as previously noted, is suggested in FIGURE 7, itbeing understood that a person would hold the container C in one hand,and pullthe tab 33 generally arcuately away from the flange 34. Thecompletion of the severance or removal operation is suggested in FIGURE8'. There it is demonstrated how the tearing action that began at theslit or scoring 42 in FIGURE 7 also terminates at said scoring,whereupon the skirt portion 24 would be discarded, as suggested ,by thebroken line arrow y.

' The condition of the container and the cap body at this point isillustrated in FIGURES 9 and 10. The cap body 22 may be removed for thefirst dispensing operation as suggested in broken lines, and thereafterreplaced and removed for further dispensings repeatedly until thecontents of the container have been depleted,whereupon both the capbodyand the container would also be discarded as is understood. f a I LFrom the foregoing description it should be clear that. the presentinvention provides a simple 1 yet effective cover assembly that attainsits. objectives innovel fashion.

What we claim is:

In combination with a pressurized container provided with a cupshapedtop closure member of the character described, said closure memberincluding a bottom Wall and a circular side Wall that terminates at thetop in an annular beaded portion, said bottom wall having a dispensingvalve assembly mounted centrally therein with the tiltable valve stemprojecting above the bottom wall aforesaid, v

a cover assembly for said container and the projecting valve stemthereof,-said assembly being'molded of a flexible plastic material andcomprising initially:

a cap body including a top wall and a circular side wall that terminatesat'the bottom in a rim portion, the external peripheral surface of therim portion having Ia smaller diameter than the internal peripheralsurface of said side wall of the top closure member; 7

a circular flange projecting laterally from the side wall of the capbody adapted to overlie said annular beaded portion of the top'closuremember;

' a plurality of circular spaced ribs projecting radially from the outerperipheral surface of said rim partion and merging at their upper endsinto said flange, each of said ribsbeing adapted to frictionally engageagainst the inner surface of said side wall of the top closure member;

r a disposable skirt section circularlyv spaced from said rim portionand the ribs thereon, said skirt sec-tion comprising an annulus havingan internal diameter in correspondence with the external diameter 'ofsaid beaded portion of the top closure member;

a feathered lower edge thereon to facilitate pressfitting the annulusonto said beaded portion of the top closure member;

a frangible circular web segment connection between the upper endportion of the skirt section and the laterally projecting flange of thecap body, said web segment being a component common to said annulus andflange;

a vertical slit or score formation in the external pefree end of the tabto facilitate severance of the annulus from the laterally projectingflange of the cap body in consequence of manually pulling said tabarcuately away from said flange circumferentially along said frangibleweb segment, the severance beginning and ending at the slit or scoreformation aforesaid.

References Cited by the Examiner ripheral surface of the annulus, saidslit extending 10 UNITED STATES PATENTS from the web segment aforesardto the feathered a 'fe a i' t l ig' t i ri jadiall laterall from theannu fijlfierBZ/ifa. P 1 g y y 3,037,672 6/62 Gach 222-541 X luscontiguously to the slit; and a vertically disposed cylindricalfingerpiece on the 5 LOUIS J. DEMBO, Primary Examiner.

